Elevator platform



March 15, 1932. A. T. BROWN ET AL ELEVATOR PLATFORM 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed June 22, 1928 ave/"tow March 15, 1932. A. T. BROWN ET AL 1,849,788

ELEVATOR PLATFORM Filed June 22, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 15 fl B w v k) avwemtom Patented Mar. 15, 1932 UNITE ATES ALFRED '1. BROWN AND ARTHUR J. LIEBENBERG, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE \VARNER ELEVATOR CORPORATION OF OHIO MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF OENCIIINATI, OHIO, A

ELnvAros PLATFORM Application filed June 2.,

This invention relates to elevators and particularly to a floor construction for elevator cabs hi hly adapted to perform useful functions in elevator control systems.

This invention is particularly adaptable to elevator control systems of the push buttontype having a plurality of push button switches one accessible for each floor and one set in the cab so that the movements of the cab can be and are controlled selectively either from the floors or from the cab itself.

A general requirement for push button elevator control service is to close the gate of the cab itself before the elevator can be operated either by an occupant of the elevator or from one of the floors. Under such requirement a user leaving the cab with the cab door open, disconnects the service so that it will not respond to control from other floors.

Another inconvenience with the present systems is that the travel of an occupied cab can be interrupted by pressing a floor switch.

This invention therefore has three primary objects. The first object is to provide mechanism and control circuits whereby the elevator cab can be operated by the floor switches when the cab is unoccupied even though the last occupant has left the cab gate in an open position.

The second object is to provide mechanism and control for an automatic elevator whereby the presence of an occupant in the cab renders the floor switches ineffective to control the movements of the cab.

The third object is to provide a movable floor adapted to perform certain circuitcontrols responsively to weight upon it, said floor adapted to remain at all times horizontal and to move in such wise as not to be hazardous or alarming to one entering the cab.

Other objects and certain advantages will be more fully set forth in a description of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view taken through the cab looking down on the floor thereof.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2, Figure 1, detailing the mounting of the movable floor in the cab, and showing the floor 1928. Serial No. 227,532.

in normal unweighted position holding the cab floor operated switches in closed position.

*igure 3 is a sectional view taken in the same manner as Figure 2, but showing the floor depressed for holding the cab floor operated switches in opened condition.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4, Figure 2, further detailing the relation of the floor and cab.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 55, Figure 2, illustrating the cab floor operated weight for controlling the switches.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary View illustrating a modified type of depressible support for the cab floor.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view showing another modification of the manner of depressibly mounting the cab platform or floor.

Figure 8 is a section view taken across the lower end of the cab, further illustrating the modification shown in Figure 7 Figure 9 is a wiring diagram showing the elevator circuit incorporating the present invention.

The elevator cab disclosed in the drawings is fabricated of metal unless otherwise specified, the sides and the like being of wood or sheet metal and the framework of channel irons, L-beams or the like, said metal parts held together by bolts or conventional fastening instrumentalities, or preferably. by arc welding which is at present approved practice in this field of fabrication. The cab includes a rectangular framework at its bottom comprising side channel irons 1, 2, and end channels 3 and 4, inwardly facing and secured together at their corners to constitute a foundation for the rest of the cab structure. The walls of the elevator, side walls 5, 6, and rear wall 7, are secured to this framework. Only a portion of the walls are shown since this invention deals primarily with the lower portion of the elevator cab. At one end of the cab is provided a gate 8 which is preferably of the sliding collapsible type.

At the bottom of the cab and within the framework is disposed a movable or floating floor adapted to perform certain circuit controlling operations. This floor comprises two inwardly facing channel pieces 9 disposed at each side of the floor. Between these channel pieces and seated in them are a plurality of cross beams 10 which may be of wood. Upon these cross beams and running transversely thereto is a plank flooring 11, over which is disposed tiling, linoleum or other floor covering 12. On the front of the floor is disposed an outwardly facing channel iron 13 which extends between the side channel pieces 9 and secures them together at the front. Upon this channel iron is mounted a door plate 14 for the sliding door 8, the door plate having grooves 16 in it to guide the cab door. At the rear of the cab structure the side channel irons are secured together by an angle iron 17 extending between them. Underneath the frame work of the cab and parallel to the cross beams extend two downwardly facing channel irons 18 which are secured at their ends directly to the cab frame. Just under the planking of the cab floor and parallel to the cross beams extend two downwardly facing channel irons 19 which are secured at their ends to the side channels of the floor. The channel irons 19 are disposed above and slightly to one side of the channel irons 18.

A plurality of pivot blocks 20 are disposed on the upper'surface of the lower cross channel irons and upon the under surface of the upper cross channel irons just described. As disclosed, these blocks are four in number, two to each set of channel irons, one on each side of the floor structure. These blocks are provided with V notches opposing or facing each other.

Between these opposing sets of blocks are disposed four knife edged links 21, the knife edges respectively seated in the block V notches. The floor is therefore adapted to rock through an arc, remaining all the while in a perfectly horizontal position and not tilting; The amount of this motion, however, is limited by two stop members 22 preferably located between the channel member which support the blocks and are attached to the cab frame, one of said stop members being located adjacent to each of these cross channel members at a distance therefrom adequate to permit the desired motion. These stop members are secured preferably to the side channel members of the cab floor and are surfaced with soft or yieldable material adapted to absorb the slight shock .of the floor reaching its limit.

This elevator floor is normally held in its uppermost and forwardmost position by virtue of a weight 24 acting through a link and lever device. This is effected by means of a forwardly facing channel iron 25 se cured to the elevator cab frame. This channel iron extends parallel to the floor supporting channel irons. .Vithin this channel iron is secured a forwardly projecting angle iron 26 provided at its forward end with a block 27 provided with a forwardly facing notch. The weight itself is provided with a relatively long lever arm 28 on which is a pivot point 29 disposed reasonably adjacent to the end opposite to that on which is disposed the weight. This pivot point 29 seats in the notch in member 26. The weight is therefore pivoted in relation to the cross member secured to the cab frame.

Between this pivot point and the free end of the lever arm of the weight and on top of said lever arm is mounted a block 30 provided with a forwardly facing notch. To

the cab fioor is secured an angle iron 31 which passes betweenthe side channel members. To the bottom of this angle iron 31 is an L-shaped member 32 provided with a rearwardly facing notch positioned to oppose the notch in the block 30 on top of the free end of the weight lever arm. Between these two blocks and seated in the notches extends a link 33 pointed or knife edged at both ends. It is therefore to he noted that this weight being pivoted to the cab frame exerts moment of force about the pivot point greater to a predetermined extent than the moment of force exerted by the weight of the cab floor about that pivot point. The weight therefore holds the elevator cab floor in its upper and forwardmost position as contrasted with its lower and rearwardmost position. I

From the planking of the cab flooring a yoke 34 extends downwardly and transversely to the lever arm of the floorway. Secured to this downwardly extended yoke member below the lever arm are a plurality of switches, two, 35, 36, as disclosed, one on either side of the lever arm which is provided at this point with a cross member 37 adapted to operate both switches to effect certain circuit controls as the lever arm lowers or raises responsively to weight upon the elevator cab floor. These switches comprise closures for the actual switch mechanism and tongues 38 extending therefrom adaptedto be engaged by the cross member on the weight lever arm. The relation of these switches to the remainder of the control circuit is as follows:

One terminal of the source of supply current for the control circuit is indicated at 39. The circuit extends through a fuse ll) to a plurality of switches l1, l2, l3, one of which is located at each hatchway door to hold the circuit open unless the hatchw'ay door is closed. The disclosure of Figure 9 is made in relation to a three-story structure and consequently the control instrumentalities are shown in sets of three. From N this point the control circuit extends'to two switches which are connected in 7 parallel. One of these switches, indicated atl i, is disposed at the top of th cab gate and is normally open unless the cab gate is closed, which action also closes the switch and the circuit. The other switch is the switch which is disposed beneath the cab floor to be operated by the weight on the cab floor. This switch is normally closed but is opened by the weight on the cab floor so that if a person is in the cab it is necessary to close the cab door in order to operate the elevator, but it no one is in the cab and the cab door is open then this switch 35 is closed so that the cab can be controlled by the floor buttons. From these two switches connected in paral lel the circuit extendsto a stop button which is conveniently located within the cab and the function of which is to break the control circuit at the will of the operator of the cab to stop the cab in its travel at any desired time. From this switch the control circuit extends to the environment of three magnetic switches 46, 47, 48, which are lo cated usually at the top or at the bottom of the hatchway or near there. Each magnetic switch comprises a core 49, a field winding 50, a movable armature 51, and a spring 52 normally holding the armature away from the pole of the magnet.

Three contacts 53, 54, 55 are provided from the control circuit at the point, each of these contacts being disposed in the path of travel of the armature ot the magnetic switch to be contacted thereby to complete a circuit through said armature.

Two sets of means, however, for completing or establishing a control circuit are provided independently of the circuits which is complete when the armature of a magnetic switch is in engagement with one of the contacts 53, 54, 55. These means are the floor button switches 56, 57 and 58, one of which is located on each floor of the building being served by the elevator, and the car buttons 59, 60 and 61 which are located in the cab so that the operator by pressing one can cause the cab to move to the floor corresponding to the number of the button pressed. In order to incorporate these instrumentalities into the circuit, connection is made from the contacts 53, 54, 55 to the switch 36 which is disposed below the movable floor of the elevator cab. This switch is normally closed, that is, when no one is in the cab, but is opened by weight upon the floor of the cab. Consequently, from this point at which connection is made with the switch 36 extend a plurality of parallel circuits, one set being made directly through the car buttons and thence to the cores of the magnetic switches corresponding to the floors representing the car button, and the other set of circuits is made through the 3 switch 36, then through the floor buttons each one of which is connected to the core of the magnetic switch with which it corresponds.

One end of the field of each magnetic switch is connected to the core and the other end of 7? the field to a movable brush, one for each magnetic switch. These brushes are indicated at 62, 63 and 64, and are movable upon a dial having two segments 65, 66, which have a dead space between them. Each brush makes contact with the segments of the dial and the brushes are moved collectively by means connected to the elevator, so that when the brush connected to the magnetic switch connected to the first fioor button of the cab and the first floor button on the first floor is in the dead space between the segments then the cab is at the first floor. The other movable brushes are also disposed and proportioned so that each is in the dead space between segments when the cab is at the floor corresponding to the control instrumentalities to be connected to the particular brush.

One of these segments is connected to a magnetic switch 67 which may be designated as the up switch and the other to a magnetic switch 68 which may be designated as the down switch. These magnetic switches are the instrumentalities which actually by their motion turn on and oil the main motor circuit to elevate or lower the cab in the hatchway. This main motor circuit and the connections are not shown in the drawings for the reason that this association with the magnetic switches can be made in any one of several well known ways.

Each up and down magnetic switch c0mprises a core 69, an armature 70 movable in relation thereto, a spring 71 tending to hold the armature away from the core, and a field winding 72 about the core adapted to attract the armature by magnetism. Each segment is connected directly to the field winding and thence to a contact 7 3 disposed to make connection with the armature of the other magnetic switch when the same is in elevated or non-active position and from said armature back through a fuse 74 to the second terminal 75 of the control circuit source of electrical power.

The up and down magnetic switches above described and their wiring constitute an electrical interlock, the purpose of which is to prevent both magnetic switches becoming activated at the same-time. The wiring is consequently such that the open position of one switch is prerequisite to the closing of the other switch. A switch Y5 by which the circuit can be broken at any time desired is disposed in the environment of the board containing the magnetic switches, so that operation of the cab can be prevented from that point to permit adjustment, repair, and the like.

Now, returning to switch 36, it will be observed that when this switch 36 is closed the cab can be controlled by the operation of either the car buttons or the fioor buttons, but that as soon as weight occurs upon the floor of the cab then this switch is opened, thereby cutting the floor buttons out of the controlling circuit since these floor buttons are in the control circuit only through this switch 36.

In the modification shown in Figure 6, the

link 21 at one end isprovided with the knife edge engaged into a V notch of a pivot block fixed to the lower side of the cab floor substantially as shown in Figure 2, while the opposite end of the link is pivoted on a pivot pin mounted on the cross rail of the sill. 'In the modification shown in Figures 7 and 8, the link 21 is shown as dependingly pivoted on a pivot pin mounted on the sill with its lower end carrying a rod 7 6 which engages through a notch 77 in an arm 78 depending from the cab floor.

The action and function of both modifications are substantially the same as previously described for the type of links shown in Figure 2, and in the form shown in Figure 8, the floor can be readily detached or withdrawn from the links or sill.

' Having described our invention, we claim: lfAn elevator cab construction, comprising, a framework for said cab structure, a floor supported upon said framework, a plurality of links movably supporting the floor upon said framework adapting the floor to move through an arc responsively tovertical pressure, said floor remaining in horizontal position at all times, a weight acting through a series of levers adapted to hold the floor in its uppermost position when no weight is upon it, and a switch associated with said lever mechanism to be operated thereby in response to weight upon said floor. 2. In an elevator. cab, a sill, a latform movably supported on said sill, para lel links beneath the platform movably supporting the platform upon the sill, adapting the platform to'be longitudinally, translatively de- 7 pressed upon the application of a weight thereon, and maintaining the plane of the platform in parallelism at all times with the plane of the sill, and a weighted lever supported upon the sill engaging with the platform for normalizing said platform upon reinoval of the depressing weight, and for actuating an electric switch device.

In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe our names.

- ALFRED T. BROWN.

ARTHUR J. LIEBENBERG. 

